Located on the Costa de Almeria, this vibrant city can trace back its history to pre-historic times. Throughout the centuries many peoples have lived in the area, and left their mark – Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans. Almeria evolved into an important naval base and port for the Caliphate of Cordoba under Abderramán III, who built the magnificent fortress overlooking the city and the bay. With the collapse of the Caliphate the town became one of the main economic forces on the Mediterranean Sea when it started producing large quantities of silk, velvet, damask, and brocade. The town housed more than 10,000 textile mills, making it very prosperous. This came to an end in 1147 when Alfonso VII seized the town, and subsequently destroyed it to stop its enormous economic influence in the area. It was later brought back under Muslim influence, and did not return to Christian domination until 1489. Almeria continued to expand economically, despite persistent raiding of the coast by Berber pirates during the 16th century. In the 19th century the city became the capital of the province of Almeria after Spain was restructured into provinces. Today Almeria is a thriving city and province, with a strong economy based on tourism and greenhouse crops.

The castle gives a fantastic view over the city and its sights. This massive fortress, the Alcazaba, consists of three walled enclosures which used to contain everything the inhabitants would need in times of siege. One of the enclosures holds the remains of a chapel that was originally built as a Mosque, but was later turned into a Catholic chapel by Catholic kings.

With its fortified structure, gothic construction and Renaissance façade, the cathedral is a real landmark. It was built in the 16th century as a dual-purpose building. Besides its obvious religious purpose, it was also a defensive structure, its corner towers once housing canons, which were necessary to defend the building, and the city, against the raids of Barbarossa and other pirate forces.

The Costa de Almeria remains unspoilt by mass tourism. To the west of Almeria, the coast consists of high cliffs which a little further on turn into flat beaches, ideal for long days in the sun. To the east of the city 20 kms of beautiful beaches stretch along the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park. Close by is San Miguel de Cabo de Gata, with its interesting Roman and Arab archaeological sites.

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